Deployment Strategist

Job description

ABOUT US Foundry Robotics is building an AI-native robotics manufacturing company focused on deploying advanced assembly and production capability for leading robotics companies and national-security-critical hardware. Basically, we're building robots that build robots. Our mission is to rebuild American manufacturing as an AI-first, assembly-focused, dual-use contract manufacturer that makes the industrial base scalable, resilient, and competitive again. THE ROLE We are hiring a Deployment Strategist to open, own, and grow our most important defense relationships. You will be the human face of Foundry inside the Department of War, the primes, and the neo-primes reshaping the industrial base. Our Deployment Strategists run the full lifecycle: prospecting, capture, close, deployment, and expansion. The relationship is yours from the first call to the next contract, whether the customer is a commander in the field or a defense executive. You will be handed a market, an intent, and the keys to our most senior customer relationships. Closing matters here. So does the judgment to know which accounts to chase, which to walk away from, and which deserve a full-court press. We are not looking for someone who needs a playbook or weekly direction. We are looking for someone who can walk onto a prime's production floor, into an SES briefing, a KO's office, a Captain's wardroom, or a congressional meeting and know what to do. You should be equally comfortable walking a plant floor, structuring a multi-million-dollar contract, briefing an Admiral, and partnering with PhD roboticists to translate field feedback into product priorities. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Revenue Ownership & Capture - Carry a number against defense accounts; own forecast accuracy and pipeline hygiene - Run the full capture lifecycle from identify to close, converting pilots into programs of record and single cells into full production lines - Set deal structures for pilots, deployments, and contract manufacturing relationships Account Strategy - Build account plans for the Department of War, defense primes (Lockheed, RTX, Northrop, GD, BAE, HII, L3Harris), and neo-primes (Anduril, SpaceX, Palantir, Shield AI, Saronic) - Decide where to invest, where to wait, and where to walk - Drive multi-stakeholder cycles end-to-end, from first conversation to signed contract Stakeholder Navigation - Build executive relationships across program managers, contracting officers, senior uniformed leaders, and prime executives - Drive demos and briefings that make the technology real for the people who sign the contract - Navigate the Hill and the Department when required Customer & Field Deployment - Own commercial outcomes through deployment, not just signature - Identify manufacturing pain points and assembly bottlenecks where Foundry creates asymmetric advantage - Partner with engineering to translate field feedback into product priorities - Develop reference accounts that become the foundation of expansion Travel: 50% across US customer sites, prime facilities, and DoW installations WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR Senior Defense Closer - 5+ years in defense capture, BD, or commercial / GTM roles with a track record of personally closing multi-million-dollar deals - Proven ability to land and expand within DoW program offices, primes, and neo-primes - Deep working knowledge of how DoW programs are funded and contracted, and the difference between a prime and a neo-prime Hardware DNA - Background selling physical hardware into industrial or defense environments: robotics, automation, weapon systems, sensors, or similar - Direct production exposure: manufacturing, sustainment, depot operations, or weapon system production - Understands the difference between selling software and selling systems that have to work on a factory floor Operator Mentality - Operates on intent: takes a one-line objective and returns with a plan, a customer, and a path to revenue - Full commercial accountability: pipeline, forecast, revenue, retention - High judgment on which deals to chase and which to walk away from Clearance & Education - Active or ability to obtain a DoW/DoD Secret clearance preferred; ability to obtain TS/SCI NICE TO HAVE (NOT REQUIRED) - Prior military service, particularly operational leadership where you led people under pressure - DoW program office experience in industrial base, maintenance, sustainment, or procurement - Time inside a top-tier strategy consulting firm with defense or manufacturing exposure - Existing relationships across DoW, prime, and neo-prime executive buying centers - A pattern of moving faster than peers and taking outsized responsibility early WHY JOIN US? This is one of the only places where world-class manufacturing operators, mechanical engineers, robotics researchers, and software engineers sit in the same room — building production systems together. We are committed to being deeply embedded in the U.S. industrial base. Our focus is simple: build adaptive robotic assembly systems that make American manufacturing scalable, resilient, and competitive again. The base salary range for this full-time position in the location of San Francisco is: $150,000—$250,000 USD Compensation packages at Foundry Robotics for eligible roles include base salary, equity, and benefits. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for the position, determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, interview performance, and relevant education or training. Foundry Robotics employees in eligible roles are also granted equity based compensation, subject to Board of Director approval. You’ll also receive benefits including, but not limited to: Comprehensive health, dental and vision coverage, and generous PTO.